Calculators & maps / publishing tools
Categorical U.S. State Map Maker
Color states by named groups with a discrete legend and editable category colors.
Your spreadsheet stays in this tab. No account is required.
Saved illustrative example. Interactive controls load automatically.
Download a starter CSVMatched data
The table keeps exact names and values, including leading-zero identifiers.
| Place | Identifier | State | Value / group |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | NC | NC | Group A |
| Georgia | GA | GA | Group B |
| California | CA | CA | Group C |
| Texas | TX | TX | Group B |
| New York | NY | NY | Group A |
Named groups, distinct colors
Use state names or two-letter codes in one column and category names in another. Up to eight groups and all 50 states plus DC are supported. Category labels are case-sensitive and sorted alphabetically in the legend. Every group has its own editable color; categories have no numerical ordering.
Blank category names, unknown states and duplicate states appear in the import review. Unlisted states are gray. Keep a legend and data table with the map so meaning is available without relying on color alone. Custom colors are not automatically validated as colorblind-safe.
Prepare and export
CSV and TSV imports are limited to 2 MB and 5,000 rows. Quoted numeric values may contain thousands separators. Review the import, correct issues or explicitly accept the matched subset, and confirm the map. Personal data is never sent to a map service or included in analytics.
SVG preserves editable vector shapes, titles and legends. PNG uses double the SVG dimensions. The matched CSV keeps unavailable values blank. Settings JSON records colors, breaks and labels; it excludes the original pasted spreadsheet.
Sources and reproducibility
County boundaries: Census 2024 cartographic county file. County names and identifiers: current Gazetteer lookup. State outline: us-atlas Census-derived geography.
Color specifications and designs developed by Cynthia Brewer: ColorBrewer. Vetted combinations come from the published scheme specifications. Archived geometry and source checksums are listed in the source manifest.